Best resume formats 2021 professional#

This format can help showcase your leadership accomplishments and transferable leadership skills. For example, you might use a combination resume if you’re applying for a people manager position and you have extensive experience managing teams but you’ve never officially had a “manager” job title. When to use a combination resumeĪ combination resume may be best for you if you're making a slight career transition or if you have a diverse employment history where relevancy to the role you’re applying for may not be immediately clear. Because your skills and employment history will consume most of your resume space, you may need to eliminate optional sections such as a summary statement, volunteer work, or special interests. This resume format allows you to emphasize both your work experience and relevant skills. This also prioritizes the information that’s most important to a recruiter rather than focusing on a work history that doesn’t align with the job.Ī combination resume is a blend of the chronological and functional resume types. By highlighting skills that transfer across industries and your most relevant accomplishments, you can emphasize the right qualifications for the position you want. If you have one long gap or multiple employment gaps in your resume in the past five years, are a first-time worker or are drastically changing career paths, then consider a functional resume. While the chronological format highlights work experience with detailed summaries of the achievements within each position, the functional format focuses on the applicant’s skill set relevant to the role you are applying for. However, if you have multiple gaps in your employment history, you’re looking to change careers or your work experience is heavily varied, you may want to consider a functional or combination resume.įunctional resumes focus more on relevant skills than work history. It’s also often used by people who are applying to a position in the same or similar field to the majority of their work experience. For example, you might select a chronological resume format if you’ve spent the past several years in the same industry and each role you’ve held was more senior than the last. When to use a chronological resumeĪ chronological resume is a good choice for anyone whose employment history shows a consistent, advancing career path. This is the most traditional resume format and for many years remained the most common. In the next sections, we’ll explore each resume format type in detail, including which is best based on common job search situations.Ī chronological resume lists your work experience in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent position at the top. For example, if you have limited work experience, you might instead focus on academic work, volunteer positions or apprenticeships with a functional resume instead of a chronological resume, which prioritizes job history.

Best resume formats 2021 professional#

When deciding which resume format you should use, consider your professional history and the role you’re applying for. The three most common resume formats are chronological, functional, and combination. What are the most popular resume formats? You can also submit your resume for a free review on Optimized Resume, we will check your resume specifically with the format and fields that employers and robots (applicant tracking system or ATS) look for. Let’s begin by looking at the three main types of resumes and which would be best for you. In this guide, we discuss the best ways to format your resume for your career objectives. When making specific formatting decisions - like margin size or font style - your goal is to deliver an easily scannable document that allows employers to quickly see why you’re a good fit for the job. Each of these resume types can be beneficial depending on your background and objectives.

There are different ways you can format your resume, but the three most common resume formats are chronological, functional and combination. A great resume can capture the attention of a recruiter or hiring manager and help you stand out from other applicants.